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Sherlockian by Ben Cardall (Instant Download)
This booklet is entirely devoted to the idea of prop free mentalism through analytical reasoning and observation.

This booklet is almost entirely devoted to the idea of prop free mentalism through analytical reasoning and observation. Discussed within is how to develop powerful prop free direct mental routines that you can come up with almost on the spot. Also discussed is ideas on how developing your memory could help to improve your routines and your act in general through less pocket space, you’ll never need another stacked deck and actually performing memory routines themselves, and also why the creation of a memory palace is a good idea for any mentalist to consider.

As well as all this i have included my original SHERLOCKIAN routine that granted does use 1 prop but it is just for a cool theatrical premise. As well as my work on the 3 truths and a lie game that uses nothing but your ability to spot the fibber’s in the room. Included is what to look out for and why, which could have taken a booklet to itself as it is something of a passion of mine.

review in from irish vagabond entertainer of liamoneilentertainment.com

'You know the kind of routine you read and half way through you have to leave the house to find some unsuspecting person to try it out on, well that’s what you get with SHERLOCKIAN. The routines are very good and explained in great detail; you can tell that Ben has put a lot of hard work into each step but it’s the subtleties of the body language and the idea of just paying more attention whichmake a good read a great one.
As I read each step I start to think of ways that I could use these techniques to freshen up some of my own performances, as well as how these routines could fit into what I already perform.
After you have read through the works of Ben you will findyourself too entering into the mind set of Sherlock Holmeshimself or even Jason Bourne, as you pick apart every personyou meet.
A great read and a very interesting look at prop free mentalist, if you perform any mind or body reading this is a must have as it is full of useful information tried and fieldtested by a great performer and a genuinely nice guy.'

Review from Anthony Jacquin, world renound mentalist and hypnotist and CEO of Head hacking:

''Some people do puzzles, some people do good tricks but Ben Cardall tells you everything about yourself by glancing at your shoes! He his extraordinary and you should hire his services if you want smart Sherlockian entertainment. Elementary, no **** Sherlock'

Snippet from Atlas Brookings review on ementalism :

"Have you ever played a game where you look at something or someone, and then look away and try to answer questions about the scene that you so avidly studied?
So why do I bring this up? Why should you care?

The simple answer is because real deductions can be made - ACCURATELY - by observation of the world around you. The trick is to know what to look for.

I recently read a few books by Ben Cardall.

In the field of Mentalism, he is, in my opinion, at the forefront of the deductionist subculture. He is one of a small group who are not satisfied to simply make their revelations appear both real and impossible. Instead, these men strive to genuinely read people in their surroundings and cleanly derive accurate conclusions. They'll take a shortcut when they need to, but they strive to minimize those moments.

They are looking for the real thing.

If you are too, you should check out Ben's work.

The Sherlockian is an excellent place to start and blends traditional methods with genuine data-mining for subsequent rational conjecture and feedback. Ben's advice here is Peter Turner-esque as regards his approach to reading a situation and presenting ideas with confident abandon while garnering credit at the appropriate moments. The Sherlockian is great place to start, but Smug Guesswork is a smorgaspord of excellent guidance. Though, sadly, the latter book is not available on this site.

When you read something like this, you begin to pick up threads that lead you to moments like the one I described with the young couple above - and your knowledge base is more robust and credible, with the result that what you do becomes more real with every passing day.

So, yeah...If that sounds good to you, then start with The Sherlockian and see where Ben's ideas take you.

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on July 10th, 2013

First of all, I wish there was a 'neutral' choice here, instead of just thumbs up or down, because
actually there's nothing wrong with this material but it's important to know that the ad is
mis-worded - it is not 'entirely devoted' to PROP FREE mentalism. Half of the booklet is actually
dedicated to a multi-prop routine requiring a prepared ring box, post-its, a business-card 'chute',
a stack of business cards, pens etc etc. In a booklet advertising itself as dedicated to PROPFREE
mentalism, there is even a section on pocket management!

So it's not really a thumbs down
but if you're buying this because you hope it's devoted to prop free mentalism, you might be
disappointed. If you're happy to use various small props and gain some tips on SOME prop free
approaches in the second half of the booklet, then at least you can make an informed choice now that
you know. If I could, I would have voted 'Neither like nor dislike'.

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on May 28th, 2015

Where does Ben Cardall find the time to hone his razor sharp deduction skills? Well, he certainly
saved some time by not learning grammar or spelling.

This manuscript is a complete
rip-off and it seems self-evident that Mr. Cardall is marketing false methods. This manuscript is a
work of fiction, as far as I'm concerned. Even at a meager $15 this was a rip-off and I'm going to
try to get a refund.

The lie detector stuff is either well known or based on debunked
pseudo-science. And the deduction stuff isn't just pie in the sky, it is lies, I strongly suspect.

I decided to buy this in order to judge Mr. Cardall's work for myself. Big mistake. Buyer
beware.

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on July 23rd, 2015

I bought 'Sherlockian' as a prerequisite to instructional DVD released by Ben under the same name. I
have found many pro's and its fair share of con's, but all in all I find it to be a great supplement
to anyone who is (1)Studying mentalism or (2) looking to learn and/or apply another level of
audience management to their act.

PRO's:Honestly, its a really great booklet and
scratches the surface of simple cold reading and it's applications. It makes you realize that simply
paying attention to small things your audience wouldn't think nor make a connection to can open many
new doors within your act. It puts you on a different level of thinking as opposed to you normal
spectator or laymen. Ben does a great job at laying out the foundation to learn how to read body
language and apply it from not only a mentally but through magic as well. It doesn't come
overnight... none of the things Ben Teaches in the booklet are "Pick up & Go" Effects. You have to
use trial and Error to figure out what works best for you. This in itself helps build character as a
performer and help you understand your audience. "Three truths and a lie" is a great impromptu
routine that not only teaches you real lie detection tactics, and once you get use to knowing what
to look for and how to do it in a manner that is comfortable to you, its a great go-to effect. it
took me about a week and a half of dedicated attempts with random people before I got into the swing
of things, And I was making pretty accurate hits after just a couple of days.

CON's: It's
already been touched on in previous reviews, but I'll say it as well. It isn't "Prop-free", but that
doesn't we don't have 3/4's of the things he talks about using as props lying around our house. The
fact that it isn't propless seems to rub a lot of people the wrong way, and I don't get it. Some of
the dialogue can be a little difficult to follow, but its nothing that taking some notes as you go
couldn't fix.

Like I said, all in all its a great booklet if you want to (1) better your
skills as a mentalist, (2) Learn some great ways to read body language and how to apply it to a
magic/ Mental routine, and (3) learn some amazing ways to separate the liars from your audience, but
learn how to make incredibly accurate deductions.

My only regret about reading this book is that I hadn't read it earlier. Ben Cardall's Sherlockian
is beautifully bold and right up my alley! Ben does a wonderful job explaining and giving great
subtleties to make this a very powerful routine. This is exactly the type of book and information I
wanted to find when I first began learning mentalism, but by no means am I saying this is a book for
beginners. This material must be well practiced and in doing so you'll have very powerful material
at your disposal!

This is fantastic stuff --- and I'm pretty picky when it comes to this kind of work. Mr. Cardall, as
alwsys, delivers the goods. He's an exceptional writer and teacher as well, which makes learning and
performing this material that much more fun.